Welcome to the Kent (North West) branch of the Western Front Association.
We run two talk programmes: one is in-person meetings at Petts Wood; the other is online via zoom.
Online meetings via zoom: Jan-Dec 2025
Online talks: Zoom meetings normally take place on either the second or third Tuesday of the month. There is no August meeting. Talks go live at 19:20 for a 19:30 start, ending about 65 minutes later. Participating is quick and easy. All you need is a computer, or a tablet, or a smart phone. Simply email us - wfa.nwkent@gmail.com - and we'll send the links and passcodes needed to attend. You will also be automatically added to the NW Kent mailing list to keep you updated about future zoom events. You can unsubscribe from this list at any time.
| Jan 14 | 'Lancers: From the Boer War to the Great War' by Maj Phil Watson, Retd, MA |
| Feb 11 | 'The African Water War' by Dr Anne Sampson |
| Mar 11 | 'Votes for Women in the Great War' by Dr Naomi Paxton |
| Apr 8 | 'The War Underground 1914-18' by Simon Jones |
| May 13 | 'Aces High: The Australian Flying Corps 1912-1920' by Rob Fleming |
| Jun 10 | 'Homosexuality in the Great War' by Dr Frances Hurd |
| Jul 15 | 'Operation Mars' by Spencer Jones |
| Aug 12 | Summer break |
| Sep 16 | Topic to follow |
| Oct 14 | Topic to follow |
| Nov 18 | Topic to follow |
| Dec 16 | Topic to follow |
In-Person meetings at Petts Wood: Jan-Dec 2025
Where we meet: We meet upstairs at the Royal British Legion Club, Queensway, Petts Wood, Orpington, Kent BR5 1DH. Meetings are normally held on the last Thursday of each month, except during our Summer (June, July, August) and Winter (December) breaks, when no meetings are held. The club and bar opens at 18:30. We ask people to turn up by 19:20, so the talk can start at 19:30. We do not charge entrance fees but do welcome donations of £5 or more towards our costs. All Petts Wood talks are given live and we neither stream nor record them.
| Jan 30 | 'Trowels and Trenches: Archaeologists in the Great War' by Clive Harris |
| Feb 27 | 'The Indian Army at Hampton Court Palace' by Dr Tejpal Singh Ralmill |
| Mar 27 | 'The Allied Intervention in Northern Russia 1918-1920' by Andy Stuart |
| May 01 | 'From this point, the tourist should go on foot: the Somme 1919-1939' by Prof Mark Connelly (rescheduled from Apr 24). |
| May 29 | 'The Ghost Villages of Verdun' by Christine Holstein |
| Jun 26 | Summer break |
| Jul 31 | Summer break |
| Aug 28 | Summer break |
| Sep 25 | Topic to follow |
| Oct 30 | Topic to follow |
| Nov 25 | Topic to follow |
| Dec 25 | Winter break |
Getting there: The club is next to Morrison's supermarket and Petts Wood railway station. Parking at the rear of the club is free but you need to type your car registration into the machine (on the left as you enter the club). Not entering your car's registration can lead to a £50 fine. Alternatively, there's easy free parking in adjacent side streets.
Upcoming Branch Events
'From this point, the tourist should go on foot: the Somme 1919-1939' by Prof Mark Connelly
Caption: Tourists on the Western Front c. 1920 About this talk: Unlike Ypres, which although devastated was close to the channel ports and had its transport links rapidly re-established, visiting the Somme was a far more challenging prospect in the years immediately following the war. Nearly fifty miles across from Amiens to St Quentin and close...
Event Details